Natural products refer to the constituents or metabolites of animals, plants, insects, marine organisms, and microorganisms. For example, natural products from plants mainly include phenolic acids, flavonoids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, volatile oils, terpenoids, lignans, coumarins, saponins, and so on, which are important sources of drug discovery. Thanks to the good bioactivities, natural products are increasingly featured in healthcare. Once ingested, natural products inevitably interact with the gut microbiota. The gut microbiota is the collection of the whole microbes inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract, and is considered an indispensable “metabolic organ”. In the intestine, the gut microbiota catalyzes the conversion of natural products into absorbable and hydrophobic compounds. Natural products are transformed into bioactive, inactive, and even toxic metabolites, thus affecting the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the original compounds. Therefore, understanding gut microbiota-mediated natural product metabolism is critical to interpreting changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
Growing evidence has shown that gut microbiota plays an important role in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of natural products. Take ginsenosides as an example, some ginsenosides possess low bioavailability and poor activity, hence need to be transformed to improve their activity. Mediated by gut microbiota, these ginsenosides can be metabolized into ginsenoside compound K with good activity. However, gut microbiota-mediated metabolism of many natural compounds is still under-investigated.
In this research topic, we aim to collect high-quality original research and review articles to present the most recent advances in:
• how does gut microbiota mediate the metabolism of natural products and which microbial species are involved?
• what is the role of gut microbiota-mediated metabolism in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of natural products?
In this Research Topic, we welcome the following subtopics, but are not limited to:
•Gut microbiota-mediated metabolism of natural products
• Identification of microbial species that mediate the metabolism of natural products
• Influence of gut microbiota on the pharmacokinetics of natural products
• Role of gut microbiota-mediated metabolism in the pharmacodynamics of natural products
Please note: Studies conducted with crude extracts/multiple-plant herbal preparations of uncertain chemical composition will not be considered for this Research Topic.
Please note: Studies conducted with crude extracts/multiple-plant herbal preparations of uncertain chemical composition will not be considered for this Research Topic. This research topic does not accept publication studies carried out with crude extracts or mixtures. Only the use of highly purified, chemically characterized compounds is acceptable. Whenever a complex mixture is used, data with the single components of the mixture, in precisely defined dose/concentration, should be provided (and/or previously published). This applies also to in silico studies on supposed mechanisms underlying supposed actions of crude extracts and/or mixtures.
Natural products refer to the constituents or metabolites of animals, plants, insects, marine organisms, and microorganisms. For example, natural products from plants mainly include phenolic acids, flavonoids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, volatile oils, terpenoids, lignans, coumarins, saponins, and so on, which are important sources of drug discovery. Thanks to the good bioactivities, natural products are increasingly featured in healthcare. Once ingested, natural products inevitably interact with the gut microbiota. The gut microbiota is the collection of the whole microbes inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract, and is considered an indispensable “metabolic organ”. In the intestine, the gut microbiota catalyzes the conversion of natural products into absorbable and hydrophobic compounds. Natural products are transformed into bioactive, inactive, and even toxic metabolites, thus affecting the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the original compounds. Therefore, understanding gut microbiota-mediated natural product metabolism is critical to interpreting changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
Growing evidence has shown that gut microbiota plays an important role in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of natural products. Take ginsenosides as an example, some ginsenosides possess low bioavailability and poor activity, hence need to be transformed to improve their activity. Mediated by gut microbiota, these ginsenosides can be metabolized into ginsenoside compound K with good activity. However, gut microbiota-mediated metabolism of many natural compounds is still under-investigated.
In this research topic, we aim to collect high-quality original research and review articles to present the most recent advances in:
• how does gut microbiota mediate the metabolism of natural products and which microbial species are involved?
• what is the role of gut microbiota-mediated metabolism in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of natural products?
In this Research Topic, we welcome the following subtopics, but are not limited to:
•Gut microbiota-mediated metabolism of natural products
• Identification of microbial species that mediate the metabolism of natural products
• Influence of gut microbiota on the pharmacokinetics of natural products
• Role of gut microbiota-mediated metabolism in the pharmacodynamics of natural products
Please note: Studies conducted with crude extracts/multiple-plant herbal preparations of uncertain chemical composition will not be considered for this Research Topic.
Please note: Studies conducted with crude extracts/multiple-plant herbal preparations of uncertain chemical composition will not be considered for this Research Topic. This research topic does not accept publication studies carried out with crude extracts or mixtures. Only the use of highly purified, chemically characterized compounds is acceptable. Whenever a complex mixture is used, data with the single components of the mixture, in precisely defined dose/concentration, should be provided (and/or previously published). This applies also to in silico studies on supposed mechanisms underlying supposed actions of crude extracts and/or mixtures.